Train-stop.



Y W. H. LOWELL 62M. T. WLNTSCH.

THA-IN STOP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. |918. l L @lgfo Patented Apr. 22,1919.

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TRAIN STOP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I6. I9I8.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

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WILLIAM HUGHES LOWELL AND MAX THEODORE WINTSCH, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRAIN-STOP.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 2&2, llgllg.

Griginal application led January 24, 1918, Serial No. 213,521. Divided and this application filed August 16,

1918. Serial No. 250,164.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that we, WILLIAM H. LOWELL, a citizen of the United States, and MAX T. WINTSCH, a citizen of Switzerland, who has declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, both residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Train-Stop, `of which the following is a description.

The present application is a division of an application for United States Patent filed by us January 24th, 1918, Serial No. 213,521, relating to a train stop of the automatic type embodying a contrivance on the engine operable indirectly and controlled by electro-magnetic track devices.

AThe present invention relates particularly to the electro-magnetic controlling devices, the nature and advantages of which will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the application, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a diagram of the apparatus embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a slide device that may be operated by shoes included in our invention and disposed along the track;

Fig. 3 is a section through the housing accommodating the electro-magnets for operating the shoes, the section being taken approximately on the line 3-3, Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3'

Fig.7 5 is a plan view of the revoluble switch or commutator operable from the semaphore;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6-6, Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, 13, 13 are shoes suppor-ted along side the railway tracks by rods 14 which are connected to cores 15 of corresponding' electro-magnets 16. By means of these rods the shoes are disposed kin diierent vertical planes so as to be engaged by lindependent rolling members.

The electro-magnets are mounted in a suitable casing 17 which carries guiding rollers 18 for the rods 14 of the shoes. The electromagnets of the same shoe are in series with a switch 19 in which a spring 20 normally main electromagnet to raise the shoe. The

movement of the core upwardly operates the corresponding switch 19-and cuts oit the current to the main electromagnets. The current passing through the secondary or latch electromagnet causes said latch to engage a spring-operable pawl 26 and prevents the dropping of the shoe.

The circuit of the latch electromagnets and the shoe electromagnets is controlled by a commutator 27 which is operable by the movement of a semaphore arm 28 (see also Figs. 5 and 6). The commutator has a contact plate 29 which is always in contact with a member 30 in all positions of the commutator, the member 30 being connected to the -main supply line 31. The commutator has also-contact members 32 and 33, the member 32 being connected by a conductor 34 to the latch electromagnets and the shoe electromagnets which are to operate at the caution position of the semaphore. The contact 33 is connected by a conductor 35 to the latch magnets and electromagnets of the other shoe, which is operable at the danger lposition of the semaphore. The electromagnets may be grounded or connected, as shown, to a return conductor 36.

Preferably the conductors 34 and 35 are provided with switchesv 37 and 38 respectively. These switches allow the operation of the shoes independently of the operation of the semaphore, as, for example,y in cases where work is being done on the track within the block. These switches will be located a distance past the road apparat-us in the direction oftraiiic. A

It is to be observed from a comparison of Figs. 3 and 4 that the shoes 13 are relatively positioned for each to engage a roller 39, it being understood that said rollers traverse paths corresponding with the respective shoes 13.

When the semaphore is indicating clear, the commutator brings the plate 29 into contactl with all three members 30, 32 and 33. In consequence the electromagnets 23 are maintained energized during that position of the semaphore. If theJ semaphore arm is Vmoved to danger, for example,l that is, in

the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the circuit through the member 33 to the corresponding latch solenoid 23 will be broken; in consequence, the latch 24 will disengage the spring-actuated pawl 26 and allow the corresponding shoe 13 to drop and, therefore, bring it into the path of the correspending roller 39 of the locomotive. The tripping of the shoe closes the corresponding swltch 19.

As Ithe semaphore is moved to the clear position, the lcircuit will close, not only to the latch magnet 23, but also to the solenoid 16 through the corresponding switch 19. The latch magnet will disengage the latch from the lu 25 and the energized electromagnet 16 will pull the shoe up and thereby bring the spring-actuated pawl 26 into engagement with the latch. vThe upward movement of the shoe throws the switch 19 open and thereby cuts off the supply of cul'- rent to the electromagnet 16.

We would state in conclusion that while the illustrated example constitutes a practic al embodiment of our invention, we do not limit ourselves strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, since manifestly the same can be considerably varied without departure from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim -as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent: Y

1. Ina train stop, a gravitationally-operable shoe adapted to be disposed alongside a railway track, electromagnetic means for raising the shoe against gravity, second electromagnetic-means for'engaging the shoe in the raised position, a normally-closed circuit for said second electromagnetic means, a switch in said circuit, a movable railway slgnal for operating said switch, said first mentioned electromagnetic means being in shunt with the second-mentioned electromagnetic means, a switch in said shunt,

means tending to maintain said switch closed, and means for opening said switch when the shoe is in the raised position.

2. In a train stop, a gravitationally-operable shoe adapted to be disposed alongside a railway track, electromagnetic means for engaging the shoe in the raised position, a normally closed circuit to said electromagnetic means whereby the same is maintained in operative engagement with the shoe in the raised position, a switch in the circuit, a railway signal adapted to operate the switch to open or close the same to said electromagnetic means and whereby said shoe is allowed to drop when the circuit is broken, electromagnetic means for raising the shoe, said second electromagnetic means being in shunt with the first, a switch in the shunt, means for closing the switch when the shoe is allowed to drop, and means for opening the switch when the shoe is raised by the second electromagnet.

3. In a train stop, a gravitationally-operable shoe disposed alongside of a track, a latch for engaging the shoe in the raised position, an electromagnet for retaining the latch in engagement with the shoe inthe raised position, a normally closed circuit to said electromagnet, a switch in said circuit, a semaphore signal for operating the switch whereby the circuit may be broken to release the latch and allow the shoe to drop, an electromagnet for raisin the shoe against'gravity adapted to be in s unt with the latch electromagnet, and a switch in the shunt adapted to be open when the sho@J is in raised position and closed when the shoe is in lowered position, said switch operable by the semaphore arm adapted to close the circuit to the latch electromagnet and to the shunt whereby said latch is brought into the position to engage the shoe when the same is raised by the second mentioned electromagnet.

4. In a train stop, a gravitationally-operable shoe, a latch, a spring-actuated pawl associated with the shoe and adapted to engage the latch when the shoe is in the raised position, an electromagnet for the latch to maintain the same in en agement with the pawl, a normally-closed circuit for said electromagnet, a switch in said circuit operalble by a railway signal to make and break the circuit to Said electromagnet, said latch being adapted to release the pawl when the circuit is broken, whereby the shoe is allowed to drop, a second electromagnet for raising the shoe against lgravity in shunt with the first electromagnet, a switch in the shunt, means tending normally to close the switch, and a cam associated with the shoe and adapted to maintain said switch open when the shoe is in the raised position.

5. In a train stop, a pair of'gravitationally-operable` shoes, electromagnetic means for each of the shoes adapted to engage the with the electromagnetic means of the corshoe in the raised position, a normally closed responding shoe, and a switch in "each vshunt 1o circuit to each of the electromagnet means, adapted to be open when the shoe is in raised a double switch in said closed circuit operposition and closed when the shoe is in the able by a railway signal and whereby either lowered position.

of the circuits may be broken and, therefore, either of the shoes allowed to drop, an eleo- WILLAM HUGHES LOWELL. tromagnet for raising each shoe in shunt MAX THEODORE WINTSCH, 

